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Human (Fexalere)
Native to a far, distant system, the few humans alive and well in Cordens have beaten impossible odds to be where they are. The scientists, soldiers, and undesireables who made up the one-way explorers have ascended to a form of celebrity in Cordens, and those who did not survive the journey are lauded as heroes like no others. Etymology and Other Names Human is derived from the International words manna, meaning "person," and huga, meaning "mind." Human, then, can be translated roughly as "People of the mind," as befitting humans' place as the sole sapient race of Mitstot. Biology and Anatomy Humans are a race of bipedal mammals, universally augmented by advanced machinery meant to keep them alive through their impossibly long cryosleep. Their skintones run the gamut from dark brown to a pale near-white, with distinct patches of discolored scar tissues prevalent around the points where their prostheses are attached to their bodies. Unlike other mammalian races in Cordens, a human's hair is most visibly present atop their heads or on their faces, while much of the rest of their body typically has very fine hair at best. A human's skeletal structure, by all evidence, is naturally strong and resilient, but most individuals have notable examples of microscopic damage caused by the augmentation process or by the augments' permanent natures. Nerve damage is similarly prevalent, and humans are at an increased risk for loss of motor functions compared to wholly-natural races due to the aggressively connected machinery throughout their bodies. Similarly, humans' internal organs are typically an unusual mix of natural and artificial specimens; while some individuals have stated their augmented or replaced organs were for medical reasons, others were utterly unaware of the alterations until illness or damage necessitated surgery. Human augmentations are notably larger or otherwise distinct from their natural bodies, and run on their own internalized nanofusion reactors to minimize the amount of energy the individual's natural body has to supply. Though manual dexterity tends to suffer from the prostheses' awkward sizing or shapes, the ability to integrate tools into their construction often makes up for other shortcomings. The size and weight of the prostheses makes humans seem more imposing than other species their height, in addition to social perceptions of the species as nigh-universally brilliant. Unusually, humans are utterly unable to naturally manipulate Chrono, and are universally unaware of its existence when first wakened. Humans who seem to be able to manipulate chrono are either granted divine power, or making use of exceptionally advanced technology that is functionally identical to the spells and spell-like powers native races can use. As such, humans never suffer from Chronal Hemochromia, and any hue of blood besides red present in a human is cause for immediate alarm. Sociology and Culture As Mitstot lacked other sapient races, humanity freely spread across the habitable worlds of their home system, growing into distinct cultures nonetheless connected by common heritage. Often, humans pay tribute to their homeland by proudly and prominently displaying its flag on their uniforms or prostheses, allowing an immediate-if not necessarily accurate-guess at the individual's experiences. Moreover, many individuals consider their crewmates to have been a unique culture on their own, and will sometimes offer their launch ship's name in lieu of a country's when asked about their home. Humans selected to make the long, lonely voyage away from Mitstot often fall into one of three categories: Scientists, Soldiers, or "Volunteers." As the project that would become known as the Starfall was intended to be a preliminary force to pave the way for eventual colonization, Alere Menya Styorneu Stodunim prioritized individuals who would be able to gauge a planet's suitability for habitation, or those who could protect the other explorers. Social pressure led to those serving life sentences, death row convicts, and others who may have done little wrong but were otherwise unwanted finding themselves volunteered to join these expeditions. Cryopods containing examples of human culture are directly responsible for the paths some cordens-native races took in their ascension to their modern forms, such as the honorbound Kanirineta, or the reclusive Many Minds. Limited transport space and the drawn out nature of the colonization scouting effort, however, have led to accounts of massive cultural drift among human countries, and two individuals from the same homeland may have utterly different recollections of their culture. Humanity's Scientific Knowledge Of all known species present in Cordens, humans come from the most technologically advanced cultures. Their inventions, upone deconstruction and study, can propel species decades ahead of their precious understanding of science and technology. Their cultures have led to specific races taking after human populaces, and instructions included in cryopods are responsible for the Karebrera discovering spaceflight. Despite their advancements in machinery and science, humanity's understanding of medicine is comparatively underwhelming. The presence of prosthetics and artificial enhancements to the human body is an obvious and clumsy attempt to counteract this deficit, as the issue of frostbite in cryosleep invariably proved lethal in testing. Perhaps relatedly, nearly no doctors have been discovered among the victims of the Starfall. Notable Humans *Captain Saoinn Racial Traits Humans are a Medium race, incurring no penalties or benefits for their size. Those with human characters may choose between +2 Intelligence and -2 Charisma or +2 Constitution and -2 Charisma. Humans are brilliant, and those who survive the journey are incredibly hardy, but their cultures and mannerisms are still utterly alien. Only an Expert: Humans gain +2 to Intimidate and to one of the following Knowledges: Engineering, Fortifications, Geography, or Nature. Hard Fantasy: Humans gain Resist 5 Cold, and Spell Resistance equal to 10+HD for Time and Void spells. Manual Understanding: A human who spends a minute tinkering with an object may choose to add 1d6 to any Appraise, Disable Device, Use Magic Device, or roll to identify its properties. They may choose to spend more time tinkering, gaining an additional d6 for every minute they spend tinkering, but prolonged use carries the risks of accidentally setting it off. Humans who spend more than one minute tinkering must make a save or roll a check each additional minute to avoid becoming targeted by the object's effects, if any. A human may tinker for a number of minutes each day equal to half their level (minimum 1). Racial Restrictions Humans may not be Hemochromic in bloodline or template. Category:Fexalere Category:Fexalere Races